ATHERTON, CA – RESULTS Menlo College Women's Wrestling opened its 2026 campaign on home mats Sunday, hosting the Menlo Open inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion. With 23 Oaks taking the mat against a competitive field featuring NCAA Division I club, Division II, NAIA and junior college programs, Menlo made an immediate statement, collecting four individual champions, three runner-up finishes and 10 total top-five performances. The tournament also marked the collegiate debuts of 10 Oaks as the program kicked off another exciting season.

 

Oak Highlights

• 4 Menlo Open Champions across the 110, 117, 145 and 160-pound weight classes.

• 3 Runner-Up Finishes and one third-place finish.

• 10 Top-Five Finishes among 23 competing Oaks.

• 10 Collegiate Debuts: Aaliyah Jurado, Kiera Partello, Sophia Darer, Mikayla Milstien, Claudia Heeney, Zaira Sugui, Natalia Righellis, Khloe Meisenbach, Angelina Jiang and Gabriella Celaya.

• Maci Stemmons went 5-2, recording four pins and a technical fall to secure fourth place after battling through the consolation bracket.

• Freshman Natalia Righellis went 4-2 in her collegiate debut, collecting three pins and a technical fall.

 

Mckinley-Johnson, Darer, Heeney, and Lopez Lead the Way

Menlo's championship performances were highlighted by Kayla McKinley-Johnson (110), Sophia Darer (117), Claudia Heeney (145) and Alexandra Lopez (160), who each captured individual titles. McKinley-Johnson went a perfect 4-0, recording two technical falls before securing a pair of close decisions against fellow Oaks to claim gold. Darer finished 3-0, earning a pin and two additional victories over Menlo opponents, including a 6-3 decision and a technical fall in the championship rounds. Heeney was dominant throughout the 145-pound bracket, finishing 5-0 with three pins and two technical falls while surrendering just six points across the entire tournament. Lopez rounded out the championship group with a perfect 5-0 record at 160 pounds, collecting a pin, three technical falls and a hard-fought 6-5 decision over a fellow Oak.

Menlo also added three runner-up finishes as Mia Navarro (110), Hayden Fry (117) and Angelina Jiang (180) advanced to their respective championship matches. Navarro put together a 3-1 day with two technical falls and a decision victory before meeting a fellow Oak for the title. Fry also finished 3-1, recording a pin, a technical fall and a 14-10 decision to reach the championship round. At 180 pounds, Jiang went 3-1, earning a pin and two close decision victories over Southern Oregon and Umpqua Community College before advancing to the championship match against Simon Fraser. Kiera Partello (110) added a third-place finish, going 4-1 with two technical falls and two decision victories. Stemmons (145) and Sugui (160) each earned fourth-place finishes, with Sugui recording back-to-back pins to open her tournament before adding a 10-0 technical fall in the consolation bracket. Righellis (160) also impressed in her first collegiate appearance, collecting four victories, including three pins and a technical fall, to finish 4-2.

 

Other Oak Participants

Beyond the podium, the Oaks continued to gain valuable experience throughout the tournament. Aaliyah Jurado (103) went 2-2 in her collegiate debut, while Audrey Swiderek (110) also finished 2-2 with back-to-back consolation victories. Leilah Patel (117) opened her day with two decision victories, and Leilani Lazaro (117) battled through a pair of competitive matches.

At 131 pounds, Carmella Foley and Isabel Navarro each collected two victories, with Navarro stringing together back-to-back wins to advance to the semifinals. Janie Houser (138) and Danica Kelley (138) also put together strong performances, with Kelley finishing 3-2 and Houser earning two victories, including a memorable suplex in her second match. Mikayla Milstien (138), Khloe Meissenbach (160), Gabriella Celaya (180) and Pearla Hanna (180) rounded out the competing Oaks, gaining valuable early-season experience against a deep field.

 

Up Next...

The Oaks will return to competition on Saturday, November 21, on the road at the Westcliff Duals in Irvine, CA. Menlo will look to carry the momentum from their opening tournament into the dual competition as the 2026 season continues.